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Travel agents usually know about discounts, special offers, bundling flights, etc. If you are doing an all-inclusive, they may be able to get you things like resort credits that you can use towards excursions.

How do you know the travel agent is getting you the best deals if you let them do all the work for you? Also, what does the agent get out of it?

You should also do a little research of the area so you do know that you're getting a good deal (maybe not the best). As some said above, agents can get perks that you can't. The agent usually gets some kind of kickbacks from the hotels/restaurants/etc that they are sending you to. Some agents do charge fees. I've only used an agent once and she said she would only charge us a fee if we wanted to do a lot of changes to the itinerary she set for us. Always look over the itinerary and check out the places before you agree on it (we didn't and only found out later that she put us in the nicest/most expensive place on the island). I have found that agents are only necessary if you do not have the time to do your own research or just don't feel like doing it. If it were me, I would not use an agent for an all-inclusive resort unless you are wanting to do a lot of excursions not provided by the resort (this is just my opinion). If you could find a good agent, then the benefits may be worth it.

I can't say I've ever used a travel agent or even planned a trip, but if I were you I would do some research to see what you can work up on your own and then call a travel agent and ask about what they can offer you, then decide if it's worth it from there.

Thanks for all the input. I've been trying to do some research on my own. I am still trying to decide if I want to go back to the Moon Palace in Cancun since they've done a ton of upgrades since our honeymoon 10 years ago or try a Couples brand resort in Jamaica for the first time. The main I problem I'm having is with the flights. All these travel sites have so many different prices from each other and since I haven't flown much I don't really know what airlines to avoid.